Label case studies
ParaGuard dip and tank directions: the two ratios are not interchangeable
A route comparison shows why copying a number without its container and duration can change its meaning.
By FishyMag · Published
Manufacturer-source commentary · Not a clinical review or treatment recommendation.
Quick answer
ParaGuard has separate tank and dip directions. The dip uses a separate container and a different amount per litre. Keep the route, container and exposure conditions together; this comparison does not choose either treatment.
Read the two instruction blocks together
Seachem lists a tank ratio of 5 mL per 40 L and, for its one-hour dip, 3 mL per 4 L in a separate container. These are manufacturer instructions being compared, not a recommended plan for your fish. The directions contain further conditions, including invertebrate removal in the tank instructions. Read the applicable full block.
Compare the numbers without transferring the use
Dividing gives 0.125 mL of product per litre for the tank ratio and 0.75 mL per litre for the dip ratio. The latter is six times the former. Those figures describe product-volume ratios. They are not active-ingredient concentrations and do not establish equivalent biological effects. A ratio cannot be detached from its route and time limit.
Catch the copy-and-paste error
Imagine a note that says only “3 mL per 4 L” next to the display-tank name. The missing word “dip” and separate-container condition make that note unsafe to reuse. Replace it with the complete source reference and route before any further calculation. Do not try to repair an ambiguous instruction by adjusting its number from memory.
Save a route-specific record
Use fields for product identity, instruction heading, separate or main container, actual water quantity, timing conditions and unresolved questions. If the bottle and website differ, preserve both versions and ask which applies. FishyMag’s calculator can scale a chosen published rule; it does not select a route or decide whether an exposure is appropriate.
Put it into practice
Your checklist
- Preserve route, container and exposure conditions beside the ratio.
- Do not paste dip arithmetic into a main-tank record.
- Resolve conflicting or incomplete instructions before relying on them.
Sources and scope
This article distinguishes manufacturer statements from FishyMag’s own workflows and arithmetic examples. Linked formulation records retain their own evidence dates; publishing this article does not refresh those records.
- Seachem Paraguard: manufacturer directions and FAQ, accessed November 7, 2026 ↗
- FishyMag evidence methodology and editorial scope ↗
AI-assisted writing and development. Not hands-on product testing or veterinary review. How we publish →
Read the formulation evidence
These links provide context, not product recommendations.
FishyMag reports what manufacturers say, quoted and linked. It does not diagnose illness or recommend a treatment, and it never infers that a product is safe from the absence of a warning — where no statement exists, it says so.
Formulations change. Always read the label on the bottle in your hand, and contact the manufacturer if your tank contains anything valuable or unusual.